Teachers of 136 aided colleges across the state allege they are resorting to borrowing money and cutting down on expenses as their salaries have not been paid for the past five months.
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Punjab College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) warned Higher Education Secretary of protests over what it claimed was the government’s “wilful delay” in disbursing salary grants and arrears.
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Union’s executive member Varun Goel expressed concern over the “unprecedented” delay. He said educators can’t survive without salaries for extended periods and questioned the government’s claim of prioritising education. “We can only curse the governments for its faulty policies and mismanagement. It has forced us to pass through a state of penury. It has been five months that the government has not given any aid to the aided colleges and the teachers of these colleges are facing acute financial crisis. How can a salaried person survive for five months without pay when price of every small commodity has skyrocketed,” he questioned.
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He added the state government maintained the delay was due to pending claims that required additional staff for processing. “But it is the government’s responsibility to depute extra staff and clear salaries on time. Teachers can’t be made to suffer for administrative delays,” Goel said.
Officials, however, maintained the salaries would be released soon.
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Director Higher Education HPS Brar said the bills had already been sent for clearance and the salary grant would be released in a couple of days.
“I have to pay my child’s university fee, which is more than Rs1 lakh. It is time bound. If I miss, he would have to wait for next year. Every day, I ask the college superintendent whether there is any hope of the salary being released. But it’s the same no every time,” said a teacher from college in the town.
Another teacher says he needs the money to pay for a surgery. He claims he has already taken a fresh date in hopes salary arrives by end of week. “But if it doesn’t, the doctor would not give me another date since the surgery has already been delayed,” he said.
Raman Sharma, area secretary, PCCTU, said the union demanded immediate resolution. “The government should step in, and disburse salary grants and arrears promptly. It is the height of callousness,” he added.
Chamkaur Singh, district president, PCCTU, said the process of clearing salary grants, which is scheduled to be completed in the first week of April every year, remained incomplete till May-end this year. “The delay means many teachers have not received salaries since January. Earlier, salary delays in aided colleges were usually limited to a month or two and were cleared without agitation. Now, it has become a pattern. Every year, we have to protest or go to courts for our salary,” he said.
“Besides current salaries, arrears from 2018-19 sessions are pending in some cases. The prolonged wait has forced several teachers to move court,” another member of the union said